Lossless is available in FLAC and ALAC (For Mac). You select on the download page.
When you purchase a lossless format, we include the MP3 free of charge
Please note: On Mp3 format an unavoidable click may be heard on segue track breaks, to avoid this issue please select lossless
Buy CD
P&P for single unit's: UK=£1.83, EU=£4.1, World=£7
Why not buy the whole Album?
Your selections total more than the whole disc price.
SERGE RACHMANINOFF
(1873-1943)
Moments musicaux, Op. 16 (1896)
27:33
À Monsieur A. Zatayevitch
1.
1
in B flat minor · in b-Moll · en si bémol mineur
6:42
Andantino - Con moto - Andantino con moto - Tempo I
2.
2
in E flat minor · in es-Moll · en mi bémol mineur
3:08
Allegretto - Adagio
3.
3
in B minor · in h-Moll · en si mineur
6:02
Andante cantabile
4.
4
in E minor · in e-Moll · en mi mineur
3:00
Presto - Più vivo - Prestissimo
5.
5
in D flat major · in Des-Dur · en ré bémol majeur
3:57
Adagio sostenuto
6.
6
in C major · in C-Dur · en ut majeur
4:42
Maestoso
Etudes-tableaux, Op. 33 (1911)
23:25
7.
I
Op. 33 No. 1 in F minor · in f-Moll · en fa mineur
2:50
Allegro non troppo
8.
II
Op. 33 No. 2 in C major · in C-Dur · en ut majeur
2:13
Allegro - [ ] - Tempo I - Meno mosso - Tempo I - Appassionato e sempre più mosso -
9.
III
Op. 33 No. 3 (Op. posth.) in C minor · in c-Moll · en ut mineur
5:12
Grave - Meno mosso - Molto tranquillo - Poco più mosso - Poco a poco agitato -
10.
IV
Op. 33 No. 5 (Op. posth.) in D minor · in d-Moll · en ré mineur
3:05
Moderato
11.
V
Op. 33 No. 6 in E flat minor · in es-Moll · en mi bémol mineur
1:35
Non allegro - Presto
12.
VI
Op. 33 No. 7 in E flat major · in Es-Dur · en mi bémol majeur
1:56
Allegro con fuoco
13.
VII
Op. 33 No. 8 in G minor · in g-Moll · en sol mineur
3:54
Moderato - [ ] - Tempo I
14.
VIII
Op. 33 No. 9 in C sharp minor · in cis-Moll · en ut dièse mineur
2:48
Grave - [ ] - Tempo I - [ ] - Tempo I - Poco meno mosso
Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42 (1931)
17:45
To Fritz Kreisler
15.
Theme. Andante -
0:58
16.
Variation I. Poco più mosso -
0:37
17.
Variation II. L'istesso tempo -
0:33
18.
Variation III. Tempo di Minuetto -
0:37
19.
Variation IV. Andante -
0:58
20.
Variation V. Allegro (ma non tanto) -
0:19
21.
Variation VI. L'istesso tempo -
0:20
22.
Variation VII. Vivace -
0:29
23.
Variation VIII. Adagio misterioso -
0:50
24.
Variation IX. Un poco più mosso -
1:01
25.
Variation X. Allegro scherzando - Poco più mosso -
0:37
26.
Variation XI. Allegro vivace -
0:24
27.
Variation XII. L'istesso tempo -
0:38
28.
Variation XIII. Agitato -
0:32
29.
Intermezzo. A tempo rubato -
1:17
30.
Variation XIV. Andante (come prima) -
0:56
31.
Variation XV. L'istesso tempo -
1:33
32.
Variation XVI. Allegro vivace -
0:32
33.
Variation XVII. Meno mosso - Poco meno mosso -
0:55
34.
Variation XVIII. Allegro con brio -
0:34
35.
Variation XIX. Più mosso. Agitato -
0:29
36.
Variation XX. Più mosso -
0:56
37.
Coda. Andante
1:29
69:18
Solo:Xiayin Wang piano
7 and 8 November 2011 and 10 February 2012
Notes
With her winning combination of consummate technical brilliance, fine musicianship, and personal verve, the pianist Xiayin Wang captures the hearts of audiences wherever she appears. She is achieving high levels of recognition for her commanding performances as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral soloist in such venues as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. This is Wang’s second disc for Chandos Records. Her previous disc, of piano works by Earl Wild, was an ‘International Piano Choice’ in International Piano.
The six Moments musicaux constitute a set of solo piano pieces, each representing a different but complementary musical form, such as the nocturne, song without words, barcarolle, virtuoso étude, or variations. Although intended from the beginning as part of a set, each piece holds its own well, with individual themes and moods, ranging from the sombre funeral march of No. 3 to the majestic canon of No. 6. Revolutionary and grand in style, the Moments musicaux still retain the charm of Rachmaninoff’s early works: dense, rich in counterpoint, highly chromatic, poignantly nationalistic, deeply felt, and, of course, exceptionally challenging to the pianist.
The Études-tableaux were composed as ‘picture pieces’. Rachmaninoff never did disclose what inspired each piece, but stated: ‘I don’t believe in the artist that discloses too much of his images. Let [the public] paint for themselves what [the music] most suggests.’
The Variations on a Theme of Corelli was the last original solo piano work that Rachmaninoff wrote, and the only one he composed outside Russia. The theme of this cycle is actually not by Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713), but an old Spanish-French folk dance. The Variations were written in 1931, the same year that the composer boldly denounced the Soviet Union, referring to its leaders as ‘Communist grave-diggers’. Stalin consequently banned Rachmaninoff’s music, but, recognising its more appealing and generally less radical nature, rehabilitated it three years later. The work is among several pieces that were later well received in Moscow.
Please login to post a review
Reviews
*** (Good) / **** (Excellent)
Benedetto Ciramna - Musica magazine - November 2012
“... All in all, this is a very satisfying account of music that many pianists murder the playing here is excellent, and she [Wang] joins a small handful of pianists whose musical moments move me.”
Vroon – American Record Guide – September/October 2012
“...Following on from her Earl Wild record for Chandos, Xiayin Wang proves herself a fine Rachmaninov interpreter The recording quality is up to Chandos’s high standards, and sterling booklet notes from David Nice, an authority on Russian music, crown an impressive achievement.”
Colin Clarke – International Piano magazine – September/October 2012
Gramophone Choice
“Here, even in Rachmaninov’s most savage and turbulent pages, is playing of an awesome clarity and poise. Xiayin Wang makes her chosen composer sound greater and more indelibly Russian than ever”
Bryce Morrison – Gramophone magazine – September 2012
Recording of the Month "A disc of exceptional quality."
Nick Barnard - MusicWeb-International.com - 27 June 2012
Performance ***** Recording ****
“All in all a very impressive disc.”
Calum McDonald – BBC Music magazine – August 2012
One of the most accomplished Rachmaninoff albums of the last several years. Xiayin Wang displays poise, sensitivity and power that is simply stunning. Nothing is milked for effect, every note is beautifully judged, but with no sacrifice of feeling. On the contrary, emotion is supremely evoked by the superb command of the material. For example, one of my favourite Rachmaninoff recordings over the years has been that of Moment Musicaux Op. 16 No. 3 in B minor by Andrei Gavrilov for EMI in Moscow in the early 1980s, a wonderfully moving performance. At just over six minutes, Wang's recording is almost three minutes shorter (not in itself an unusual timing), but her command of line and structure -- which throughout this disc stands up very well to comparison with Rachmaninoff himself -- is such that her performance easily supplants Gavrilov’s, gaining rather than losing in ardour. Her playing throughout is nothing short of miraculous. And if you want another taste of magic try the last three variations of the Corelli Variations, melting into that sublime coda.
J Lamede
Media Downloads
Whenever possible we provide a high resolution CD cover image and a PDF version of the CD booklet for you to download and keep